Coin operated device



Selm, 19, 1944.

L. A. THATCHER ET AL COIN OPERATED DEVICE Filed May 15. 1942 ATTORNEY lent operation of lthedevice Patented Sept. 19, V1944 ford, Conn.assignors .to .Pitney- Bowes Postage Meter C o. Stamford, Colm., afcorporation ofk .,ApplicationMay 1'5,

flliainis 'This invention-relatesito=acoingoperated device wherein the coinr'eects operationrof :the device i-whilethe-coinzfis under control of the manual `force applied-by the operatornandffurther relates to control means.fornthe'gprevention ofrjfrauduvIn 'the operation of-coin controlled vending machines, the. usual practice ris totinsert a coin, then apply power throughy the A.pressure of abutton or the pull ofrahan'dlefto :effect `4a :cycle :of .machine operation. kWith the device `according Lto this invention,-the*insertion 'of the :coinpro- 4vides the power factor for performnglthe operation of vendingpor Whatever.` other performance the machine Vis :qualified jto' provide. `In View of thelfact that thefvending operation .is performed during the dperiod vof'-coiniinsertiorn means is .provided to makev itextremelyr difficult `toifraudulently .manipulate-the device, and further, lto provide-.means whereby if .a-successful fraudulent operation is attained, an internallocking mecha.- --nism' will become eiective-toprevent any1 further operation of the machine until reset by a person authorized Vto enten the machine.

Y. `It is theobjectof-Sthe invention thereforefto sprovide `in a coinoperateddevice, kmeans whereby operation `of thewdevice y-is performed .directly -upon insertion ofthe-coin; means whereby fraudulent Voperation is made. extremely difficult; .zand

means whereby the devicellisentirely flocked-.out- -vfrom .Within if :arsingle performance .ofv fraud- -fu-lent operation is effected.

With the above and `other objects insview,

:which `willI appear as. 1.the description proceeds,

...'.the invention `resides kin Vthe :combination .and

arrangement of .parts `and the .details of .con-

. struction hereinafter described and claimed, fit

being .understood that Various v changes in the precise embodimentof ,the invention herein disclosed may vbe made '.withinthe scope l.of -what .is claimed without departing `from the spirit of 'the invention.

l A,.preferred vembodiment of `the invention is jillustratedin theaccompanying drawing, where- 1 Fig. 1 is aseotionalviewothroughthe casing Vof a machine, Withgthe lcoin operated .mechanism shown in elevation; I

Fig. 2 is a' front elevational View of Fig. 1; l y Fig. 3 is a View similar toEig. l, showing" the parts in an operating*v positionV at onefpointduring the period of ,coin insertion;

Fig. 4-is a view similar jto Fig. 1V in part, and

particularly shows the -normal v position Yof theV ew 4taken,along#the line .ing-one-ofC .the 1 locking `elements Ain .awreleased .5 -position .during Vthe period `of coinrinsertion. n

Application of a device of the` character -of \'this'invention may. bel-made with' various. types of vendingor like machines, butin view .ofithe Y :device .being particularly related tothe coin controlledffeature,no reference will .be-made v.to any particular class-of rnachinesfor which .it may @be used. Y

Referring` to the-drawing,l the element lwhioh is V'to loe-controlled comprises a -shaft'lIIL :best

l1-'5 shown in Fig. 5, which shaft is supported inibear- Vings. II-I I, projecting from .supporting walls I2-I2. A disc 13,- a ratchet toothed wheel .1.4, rand star wheelV I5 are joined together as a runit, vand-are xed'lto the shaft I0. .The'discll@ fur- -20 therl has.-a-p1ura1ity\of-evenly -spacedpins |56 projecting lfrom oneface thereof Land yaflhulo I1 ings-I8' therein. Y v

Associated Withk-the star wheel il 5 is -a detent "lever l-pivoted on astudi 2 I, which has-adetent portion 22 normally urged into engagement with the-starwheel-bymeanslofla-sfpringtZS.

Associated with lther-ratchet wheel I4 Ais-xa.'locl; -ing `lever 24, which `is' pivoted-on la; studY 20, and has-a. claw -likeportion'z including- 4'diametrically opposed -toothj projections ZI-ZL-as best. shown in `Fig. 4. Said locking lever 24lis 'vv-further provided- With-a' lip portion 28, bentat fright angles :to the vfaceof the levenand has a pin29 pro- .35 -jectingf -sidewardly @from --one `:face thereof. By Y `-meansof-a springl ,the locking v lever I2li is v-normallyurgedto-rotate in af'counterclockwise direcf tion,1as-viewed-from Figfi.

,A casingk J32 enclosesthe coin fcontr'ol mecha- `.40 nism, -as f shown ini-Figi 1,V and 'has-a coin slot-33 L"therein*positioneddnglalignmentjwith the` pins lI 6 -onthedisc I3. I

A novelarrangement of the-device,makes use iofzeaoh'coinafter-insertionandV after the normal' :s gopera'tionof the-devieftoprovide-an interponent v4"between Ythe leveri12'4 Yandjdiscy I3 for the 'pur/pose of establishingiadnormal position .for the'jlocking- Y lever'24. As shown iniig. thecoin', jafter 'insertion in :the machine;VV will beconie 'fledged jtheglockingtlever 24 A and detentjleverfi 9,@a'nd ,is

arranged'to provide forthe completelocking out ponent coin.

. lever 34.

of the machine, if by fraudulent manipulation the interponent coin C is removed. Said lockout control lever 34 is mounted upon a stud 35 and has two arms 36. and 31. The arm 36 is normally urged against the tail end of lever 24 by means of a spring 38, while the arm 31 normally lies in `the path of the upper edge of a pointed ,projection 39 on thedetentlever I9. 'j

During the normal rotation of the star wheel I 5, upon inserting a coin C, as in Fig. 3, the arm 3l of the lever 34 will ride upon the upper edge* .little the toothed portion 43 will still be in the of the projection 39 and return to its Vnormal position, as in Fig. 1, at the end of the stroke of the disc I3. should have been removed by'fraudulent means,

Y the locking lever 24 would be rocked by the force of the spring 3|, t0 remove the tailend thereof from the path of the armf36. would effect rocking of the arm 31 into the path of the lower edge of the projection 39, to thereby prevent rocking movement of the-detent lever I9. Permanent locking of `the `,star wheeli I5 -would thus be effected until `the `devicewasreadjusted by placing another interponent coin in position between the pin 29 on lever 24 IB on-disc.|3.. .y

, and pins It is kto be further nted that when the interponent coin isin position, `as in Fig. 1, the lip 28 is in position to be engaged, bythe inserted coin, as inV Fig. 3, when the coin passes-through .the slot 33, to thereby eiect the camming of the lever 24 a suicient distance above the pivot stud4 2D to release'the toothed projection 2I from the path ofthe 'ratchet teeth of .ratchet member I4. Y vA coin, after being properly inserted-first engages one'of the pins I6 of the disc I3 to rotate said disc and drive the shaft I therewith. During such rotation, the detent'lever `I9 is-rocked about its pivot stud 2|, as inFig. 3, sov as to be-V vany suitable manner therebelow, while the newly inserted coin takes theY position of the inter- From the mechanism asthus fardescribed, let

us assume that Y someoner having intention to l fraudulently releaseithe machine for operation, inserts a suitableimplement through the slot- 33 uto, engage the lip 28, and by careful adjustment is sucessfulin obtaining the precise position rei quiredto free the toothed projectionZ'I Vfrom the vpath of. theAteeth'of vtheratchet wheel I4,

Vwhile also maintainingv the toothedv projection 26 free .of said teeth, andfurther is successful-,in rotating the disc I3. vAs a result vof suchmanipulation a single operationofthe device will be y e effected. However, during such operationthe interponent coin will have been released, and the, `locking-lever 24 will'have rotated-toremove the tail portion thereof from the arm 36 of lock-out As previously stated, this wi11-rCause the arm 3l of said lock-out lever to drop behindV the lower edge ofY the `projection 39 andblock,V

further attempt to manipulate the device until proper readjustment is made by a'personfauthorized to enter the machine.

'In orderlto make it further difficult for anyone the stud and is urged to rotateinfaclockwise Vl direction by aspring 42.. `A claw like structure'at Ythe Working end thereof .comprises a lower 75 `coin to form an interponentY betwgggmi therqga..

If, however, the interponent coin f This in turn, 1

path of the teeth of ratchet I4.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is: I

1. In a coin operated device, means whereby direct operation of the device is eiected by a coin upon inserting said coin in the device, said A means comprising a movable member engageable by the coin and movable a predetermined distance lby the manual force appliedto ther coin ywhile the coin is being inserted, obstruction ,comereengaged with the next succeedingA cavity -in the star wheel I5. During suchrotation also,

.means normally in locking position with relation tothe movable member before inserting Vthe coin -andrbeing movable by `engagement of the coin therewith to free said .movable member, a coin previouslyV inserted forming,V an

movable member, detent means to inhibitthe movement of the movable member, a detent locking member, vmeans, to normally' urge the detent lockingmember toward a locking position with `relationto the detent means, astop normally retaining the detent locking member in` a nonlocking position, removalof saidV stop.;being adapted to be effected when vfraudulent manipulation of thedevice is attempted Ain a manner which causes the interponentcointo be dislodged ,from its interponent position,.with`out replace- :ment by another coin, 'whereby thedetent lock- V.inglmember is then urged to adetent locking po- ;sition tofpreventzrepeated fraudulent manipula- Vtion.Y i

2. In a coinoperated device, means whereby direct operationiof the device is effected by 'acoin upon inserting said'coinin the, device, `said coin Y replacing an interponentcoin hereinafter dened,

` associated with the rotatable member, -means to engage a previously inserted coin so that it'will -to A.fraudulently operatethe device, a further@ lckinglever 4 I may be provided, asbest shown in Fig. 6.` Said'lever 4I is suitably mountedupon act `as an int'erponentfbetweenthe obstruction means and rotatable member, a lockout'member urged toward the 'detent' member andg normally engaging the obstruction-means, thereby permit- .ting the vdetent member tonormally controla `limitedmovement vof "the rotatable member when each coin is inserted, said lockout member being "movable to a blocking YVposition with relation to the detent member if'the interponent coin is released by means other thari'th'eV insertion-of a eomjan'dgthe lockoutfmembn-s' freed by .the jobstruction means j" f f 3fm a com opeatddevi elhaiving a coin not and iricindieg e reparatie; element, obstructing jdevicesandmeanfs adapted'tereeeive again, the

interponent supported between the obstruction member and table element and obstructing devices; means whereby rotation of the rotatable element is effected by a second coin upon inserting the second coin in the coin slot, means to prevent fraudulent manipulation of the rotatable element including means to urge the obstructing devices into a locking relation with the rotatable element, and means forming a part of said obstructing devices lying in the paths of the upper and lower peripheries of the coin and being movable by the coin when inserting said coin, to therebyV eiect removal of the obstructing devices from their locking relation with Vthe movable means, whereby fraudulent effort to manipulate the device requires delicate adjustment of each ob-` structing device against opposing spring pressure to the precise distance apart such as would normally be eifected by a coin.

4. In a coin operated device, means whereby direct operation of the device is effected by a coin upon inserting said coin in the device, said means comprising a movable member engageable by the coin and movable a predetermined distance by the manual force applied to the coin while the coin is being inserted, means to prevent fraudulent manipulation of the movable member including a spring urged obstruction member normally positioned in locking relation with the movable member before inserting the coin, the coin previously inserted forming an interponent supported between the obstruction member and the movable member to maintain said obstruction member in proper position for engagement by a succeeding coin while in a locking position, and means cooperating with the obstruction member, whereby when engaged by a coin, the obstruction member is removed from an obstructing position and the movable member is moved the predetermined distance, and a lock-out member controlled by the obstruction member, whereby, when manipulation of the obstruction member and movable member is attempted by other than a coin the lock-out member will be released to eiect the locking of the movable member against further release by a coin.

5. In a coin operated device, means whereby direct operation of the device is effected by a coin upon inserting said coin in the device, said means comprising a movable member engageable by the coin and movable a predetermined distance by the manual force applied to the coin while the coin is being inserted, and means to prevent fraudulent manipulation ofthe movable member including a spring urged obstruction member normally positioned in locking relation with the movable member before inserting the coin, the coin previously inserted forming an interponent supported between the obstruction member andV the movable member to maintain said obstruction member in proper position for engagement by a succeeding coin while in a locking position, a spring urged detent member engaging the movable member and adapted to inhibit movement of the movable member, and a locking member associated with the detent member and obstruction member, whereby fraudulent manipulation of the obstruction member and movable member by other than a coin will effect movement of the locking member to a locking position with respect to the detent member to lock the movable member until released by one authorized to enter the device.

6. In a coin operated device having a coin slot and including a rotatable element, obstructing means, and means to receive a coin, said coin forming an interponent between the rotatable element andl obstructing means, said rotatable element having pockets therein, one pocket lying in the path of the coin slot and being'engageable by a coin toleffect rotation of the rotatable element when inserting a coin in the coin slot, means to inhibit the rotation of the rotatable element when inserting a coin, said obstructing means comprising a spring urged member urged against the interponent and having a portion thereof normally blocking movement of the rotatable element, said obstructing means also being engageable by the coin when inserted and being movable thereby to a non-blocking position to free the rotatable element for movement by the coin, said interponent coinv being releasable during movement of the rotatable element, and

said inserted coin becoming the interponent coinV when rotation of the y rotatable element is terminated by the inhibiting means.

LINDEN A. THATCI-IER. FRANCIS'J. ROUAN. 

